Texas court dismisses second felony charge against Rick Perry

A Texas court has dismissed the second of two felony charges against former Texas Republican governor Rick Perry, appearing to clear the failed presidential candidate of wrongdoing in a legal case that his team said hampered his second attempt to win the White House.

Perry had been facing an abuse of power charge stemming from his clash with the head of a state public corruption investigation unit after she was jailed for drunk driving.

In July of last year, a state appeals court dismissed the other charge against Perry, which alleged that he engaged in coercion of a public servant when he threatened to veto state funding for the department as a result of the incident.

Perry, the longest-serving governor in Texas history, had long held that the felony indictment amounted to a “political witch hunt.”

He entered the 2012 presidential race with much fanfare, seen as a fundraising juggernaut with an impressive economic record, but his bid quickly faltered after missteps he largely blamed on his late entry to the race.

He gave a GOP presidential bid a second shot last year despite his ongoing legal woes but dropped out last September after only about three months in the race.